


Warmth in November

by BumblyWritesStuff



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series, Layton Kyouju vs Gyakuten Saiban | Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Genre: M/M, Maya's gonna come up soon just not in the first couple chapters, Mild Hurt/Comfort, this was supposed to be a oneshot but then it got out of hand
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:34:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25188781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BumblyWritesStuff/pseuds/BumblyWritesStuff
Summary: After a surprise reunion, Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright are thrown into another adventure together! But something's sparked between them, something that wasn't present when they first met in Labyrinthia. Now they must solve the case of a frozen London with the help of the Professor's apprentice Luke Triton and Maya Fey, while working out their feelings for each other at the same time.
Relationships: Hershel Layton/Naruhodou Ryuuichi | Phoenix Wright
Comments: 16
Kudos: 24





	1. A Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> Updates will be whenever I can, but I'll try and space out releases as best I can (mostly so I can catch spelling mistakes.)

“Come on, come on… why haven’t they invented teleportation yet?” Phoenix Wright stood at the bus stop, shivering from the cold November had brought. He had gotten up late that day and had to rush out the door, and because of this he had forgotten to grab his jacket on the way out. Judging by the time, he had already missed the first bus, so it would be another twenty minutes before the next one came. Just then, he spotted Professor Layton walking down towards the bus stop, his signature top hat still on despite the cold.

“Hey, Professor! Long time no see!” Phoenix called out with a wave as the Professor approached.

“Phoenix Wright! My, it’s good to see you again,” Layton said, tipping his hat, “How have you been?”

“Pretty good, things have been stressful lately but I’m pulling through the best I can,” Phoenix said through chattering teeth.

“I would believe so, you forgot your jacket in the middle of winter,” Hershel said, taking a stand beside him.

“O-oh, uh, y-yeah, whoops,” Phoenix said, embarrassed. Layton then started to take off his winter jacket and, once off, held it out to Phoenix.

“Here, take it. You look like you’re about to freeze,” Layton said with a warm smile.

“Are you sure? You’re not gonna be cold without it?” Phoenix asked.

“I assure you, I will be alright. Just make sure to bring it back to me once you’re done with it,” Layton said, still smiling that warm smile of his. Phoenix didn’t know why he was noticing this now, but Hershel looked so soft when he smiled like that. _It’s a good look on him,_ Phoenix thought.

“Thank you,” Phoenix said, graciously taking the jacket and putting it on as best he could. It was snug, but with the varying sizes of the two that was to be expected, and it made it that much warmer. He then realized why the professor had said he would be alright.

“Professor, were you… wearing your normal jacket under your winter jacket?”

The Professor froze. Now it was his turn to be embarrassed.

“I, well, i-it simply works as an extra layer, you see,” Layton said, scrambling for words. Phoenix laughed, giving a friendly punch to the Professor’s shoulder.

“It’s alright, prof. We’ve all got that one outfit we never wanna take off,” Phoenix said. He looked down the street and saw that his bus had finally arrived, a few minutes early at that!“There’s my bus! Gotta run, but I’ll be sure to have your jacket back by the end of the day! See ya! And thanks again!” Phoenix said, quickly fishing out his bus ticket and hopping onto the bus.

Layton gave a wave, waiting until the bus had turned a corner and was out of sight before turning around to face forward again. On the bus, Phoenix couldn’t help but think about how cute Hershel looked when he was flustered, and how sweet his smile was. He sat there, staring out the window at the falling snow absentmindedly, a smile starting to bloom across his face the more he thought about those moments. It may have only happened a few minutes ago, but it felt like forever had passed since he’d seen the Professor.

_Maybe I’ll get off work early today…_


	2. Strong Winds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phoenix ends up staying the night at Layton's, and something quite puzzling occurs in the middle of the night, marking the beginning of a new mystery for them to solve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, remember when I said I was gonna try and space the chapters out? Haha yeah me neither, anyways new chapter!  
> (Seriously tho all the positive feedback has been amazing, tysm. That's probably what made me write so much so fast, you guys are awesome and I appreciate every one of you. Also edited one thing onto the end cause I got new ideas, sorry bout that)

Phoenix stepped up to the Professor’s door and gave it a knock, shielding his eyes from the wind that had picked up over the course of the day. The light snow that had started this morning had turned into a blizzard, and it had been a task to walk against the wind to the Professor’s house. The door swung open, and a young boy stood in the doorway.

“Mr. Wright? What are you doing here?” The young lad asked.

“Luke! It’s good to see you again, bud! I came by to return the Professor’s coat, is he home?” Phoenix asked.

“Hold on, I’ll go get him,” Luke said, running into the house and leaving the door open. Soon after, he came back to the doorway with the Professor in tow.

“Good evening, Wright! Please, come inside, it’s simply frightful out there,” Layton said, motioning for him to come in. Phoenix stepped in with a “thank you”, returning Hershel’s jacket to the coat hanger by the door before following the Professor inside to the main living room. It was moderately sized, with a sofa and a coffee table set center, and a bookshelf off to the right accompanied by a tall potted plant.

“Here, make yourself at home, I’ll go make a pot of tea. You like Earl Grey?” Hershel asked, already halfway into the kitchen.

“That sounds lovely, Professor. Thank you,” Phoenix said, and sat down onto the couch. Luke came and sat down with him, asking him questions and telling him about all the adventures he and the Professor had gone on since they’d last seen him and Maya. They were admittedly a little tame compared to what the Professor and Luke had gone through in the past, but they were exciting to hear about nonetheless.

A few minutes had gone by and the Professor returned with a tea set in hand. He set it down on the table and joined the other two on the couch, then pouring the tea and handing a cup of it to Phoenix and Luke.

“So, Mr. Wright, I’ve been meaning to ask you something ever since you alerted us you and your assistant were going to be moving to London,” Layton said, taking a sip of his tea.

“Oh? And what’s that?” Phoenix asked. 

“Why is it that you moved to London? Last I checked, you were quite the renowned attorney in Los Angeles, so why move bases?” Layton asked.

“Well, a lot of things happened, to say the least. Those things caused me to lose my job, so me and Maya decided to relocate and start fresh, y’know? And things have actually gotten better! I’ve gotten a well paying job, Maya has plenty of places to eat, and things are looking up! Honestly, I didn’t expect things to get better after what happened, but I guess you never know what life’s got in store for you!” Phoenix answered, a bright look in his eyes, one that made something in the Professor light up.

“I’m glad that you’ve gotten to a better place, Mr. Wright. It sounds like you’ve gone through a lot in the past months,” Layton said.

“Yeah, but Maya was there every step of the way, she helped out a lot when I wanted to just give up. I owe a lot to her,” Phoenix said, looking into his cup. “Well, I should get going, Maya’s probably wondering where I am. Thank you for the tea!” Phoenix put down his cup and started to make his way to the door until the Professor spoke.

“Oh, Wright, I also meant to ask you another thing. You did remember to bring your own jacket to walk home with, right?”

Phoenix stopped in his tracks, realizing too late that, in his haste to return the Professor’s jacket, he had forgotten to stop by his apartment and grab his own jacket.

“Uh, w-well, um…” Phoenix tried to think up an excuse as to why he didn’t have his jacket, but to no avail.

“That is alright, Mr. Wright. You can borrow my jacket again to walk home if you wish, I wouldn’t want you to freeze out there,” the Professor said, chuckling to himself.

“O-oh, no, I couldn’t, I’ve already borrowed it once,” Phoenix said, feeling his face flush.

“Well, I can’t let you simply walk out into the cold with no protection. What do you propose we do?” Layton said, now fully turned around to face Phoenix.

“Ooh, I know! What if Mr. Wright stays the night here?” Luke said excitedly.

“An excellent idea, my boy. But it’s entirely up to what Mr. Wright feels comfortable with, considering we only have two beds and a couch,” Layton said, looking over to Phoenix for his answer.

“I wouldn’t wanna impose on you guys…” Phoenix said, looking down.

“It is no imposition at all, Mr. Wright. We would love to have you here for the night, at least until this blizzard lets up,” Layton said, getting up from the couch and walking over to Phoenix.

“Well, if you guys really wouldn’t mind, then I guess that would be the best option,” Phoenix said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Perfect, I’ll get the couch set up for you. I hope you don’t mind sleeping on the couch, I will admit this is a bit last minute,” Layton said.

“That’s perfectly fine, I’m happy you’re letting me stay here in the first place,” Phoenix said, flashing him a nervous smile. It made Layton go soft, that smile, but he couldn’t figure out why.

“Hooray! It’s a sleepover!” Luke shouted, hopping off of the couch and throwing his hands in the air. Layton got blankets and a pillow from the closet and set them up on the couch, moving the table out of the way so it wouldn’t feel cramped for Phoenix. After cleaning up the dishes and getting Luke ready for bed, he went to check on Phoenix one last time before retiring to his bedroom.

“Are you warm enough Mr. Wright? If you ever get cold, there’s more blankets in the closet,” Layton said, hovering over the light switch.

“This is perfect, thank you. Goodnight, Professor,” Phoenix said.

“Goodnight, Mr. Wright.”

And with that, Layton flicked the light out and went to bed.

A bang went off, waking Layton. _That sounded like it came from the living room…!_ Layton thought, panic setting in. He rushed out of his bedroom into the living room, afraid that Phoenix had gotten injured. Phoenix was also woken up by the sound, and was trying to close the window that had blown open. Layton rushed to his side, helping him push the window closed against the strong wind.

“Are you alright?” Layton asked after the window was securely closed.

“Yeah, I’m okay, just a little startled is all,” Phoenix said, letting out a breath he had been holding in.

“Thank god, I was worried for a moment that someone had broken in,” Layton said, his panic residing.

“Did you feel how hard that wind was? It feels almost unnatural,” Phoenix said, taking a step back. Suddenly something caught his eye out the window, making his expression shift.

“Professor, take a look outside!” He said, his eyes widening with shock. The Professor took a look out the window and saw what had made Phoenix alarmed. Giant icicles were raining down, being carried by the wind. But that wasn’t all. Wherever they landed, they seemed to spread across the surrounding area, coating it in a sheet of ice.

“What in the world…?” The Professor’s eyes widened, he hadn’t seen anything like this. He raced to the door to get a better look, Phoenix following close behind. Layton opened the door, seeing that a part of it had been hit by one of the icicles. It was fascinating to the Professor, fascinating and frightening. He instinctively took a few steps forward, marvelling at the sight before him.

“Professor, watch out!”

Phoenix pulled him back, an icicle flying past right where he had been a moment ago. He gasped, his mind returning back to the present and processing what just happened. Phoenix was holding him, checking him over to see if he was hurt. The Professor felt himself blush, both touched at the thought that Phoenix was worried about him and that he was holding him at the same time.

“Are you okay, Professor?” Phoenix asked, loosening his grip on Hershel.

“I-I’m quite alright, thank you. And please, call me Hershel,” the Professor said, trying to hide his blushing face.

“Uh, alright. Thank god, that icicle almost got you. And you can call me Phoenix, if you want” Phoenix said, letting go of Hershel fully.

“Alright, Phoenix. Thank you for that, I would’ve gotten hit with that if it weren’t for you,” Hershel said, looking up at Phoenix and giving him a smile. It calmed Phoenix down, seeing him smile again after something like that. He then realized the door was still open and went to shut it, Hershel coming to help push against the wind. After they had gotten it shut, Luke came down the hall, rubbing his eyes.

“What’s all the racket, Professor?” Luke asked, yawning.

“I’ll explain in the morning, Luke, but something strange is happening,” Layton said, looking over to the boy.

“Oh boy, is this gonna be another mystery for the great Professor Layton to solve?” Luke asked, smiling.

“It appears so, my boy. It appears so,” Layton said, looking up to Phoenix and smiled. Phoenix smiled back and gave a quick nod, a silent agreement to help.

“Well, there’s nothing much we can do right now as of late, so I say we all go back to bed and try to get some rest. We’ve got an investigation to conduct in the morning after all,” Layton said, stepping away from the doorway.

“Alright, g’night Professor, g’night Mr. Wright,” Luke said, then walked off back to his room.

“Are you sure you’re still alright sleeping on the couch after what happened?” Hershel asked, turning to Phoenix.

“I’ll be alright Hershel, besides, what other option is there?” Phoenix said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Well, we could always…” Hershel trailed off, a bit nervous to continue.

“Could always what, Hershel?” Phoenix asked, giving him a quizzical look.

“We could always… share a bed, if you would feel comfortable with that.”

Phoenix’s heart leaped in his chest, surprising him. “W-well, I would be okay with it if you’d be okay with it too…” Phoenix said, trying not to sound flustered.

“I would be fine with it, Phoenix. It’s simply for your safety after all,” Hershel said, noticing how flustered Phoenix had gotten and smiled to himself. He looked adorable when he was all worked up like that, and the Professor was starting to piece together why he felt like this, though he wouldn’t be able to draw any conclusions yet.

“So, shall we head off to bed?” Hershel asked.

“Yeah, I’m pretty tired after that rude awakening,” Phoenix said, and Hershel led Phoenix to his bedroom. They both got tucked in and, after having said their “goodnight”s to each other, laid their heads down and fell back asleep.

Except...


	3. A Troubling Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hershel is having a hard time sleeping after seeing the storm, and Phoenix is just the one to calm him down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We gay in this denny's tonight bois

… Not entirely. Hershel had been trying to fall asleep, but to no avail. Too many thoughts were running through his head, questions that had zero answers. How was this even happening? What exactly were those icicles? And with what they saw, what would the outside look like in the morning? Can those icicles affect people as well? Would the storm ever stop, or will it just continue until London is just one big piece of ice? He tried to push them down, save them for tomorrow, but they just kept popping back up one after another. Finally, he sighed and gave up trying to sleep, for now at least. He rolled onto his back, careful not to wake Phoenix beside him, but he noticed when he looked over that Phoenix was awake as well.

“Phoenix, what are you doing up? It’s quite late, you know,” Hershel asked, shifting onto his side to face Phoenix.

“Couldn’t sleep. I guess I’m just confused, what we saw going on out there’s just too weird to be true, but I saw it happening with my own two eyes! I haven’t seen anything like this since Labyrinthia, and to be honest I was okay with not seeing anything like that again,” Phoenix said, sitting up slightly.

“I’ve been feeling the same thing, Phoenix. Too many questions have spawned from this, and none have any possible answers,” Hershel said, sitting up as well, “The more questions pop up, the more… _afraid_ I become to see what will be on the other side of the front door in the morning. There’s so many variables that we don’t know, we’re not even sure if what we saw was truly real. My biggest fear though is that those icicles could possibly affect people as well, and you saw what they did when they landed. I suppose I’m more afraid that people will get injured in this phenomenon as well as just houses. It’s not like we can really do anything right now, I’m just…”

Hershel looked down at the covers, a worried look clear on his face now. He hated sitting idle while something terrifying like this happens, but what could he do? Fight the icicles with a loose pipe? He knew he couldn’t do anything to stop that storm, the only thing he could do was hope that it wasn’t as bad as it seemed and figure it out in the morning, and that wasn’t even slightly comforting, let alone helpful. What was he supposed to do? What-?

Hershel was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt Phoenix wrap his arms around him in a hug, surprising him.

“Hey, Hershel, it’s gonna be alright. We’re gonna figure this mystery out, and it’s gonna turn out okay in the end. There’s no use worrying about what you don’t know yet, we’ll get new info as we go. That’s how all mysteries work, right?” Phoenix said.

“...I suppose that is how they work, isn’t it?” Hershel said, hugging him back, “Thank you, I know I don’t usually show this side of me, but... I really did need this now. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing,” Phoenix said, relieved that the mini-pep talk actually helped.

Hershel was finally fully calm again, the anxious thoughts receding for the time being. He always felt so calm around Phoenix, and now he was practically sure why. The way he talked and acted, the way he was always so open, it made him feel safe. He hadn’t felt this kind of security for a long time, not after... 

But was this really the time for his own emotions? Perhaps not, but once he finds a good time, he’ll sort them out. He shut his eyes, not realizing that he was still hugging Phoenix, and soon he was fast asleep on Phoenix’s shoulder. Phoenix felt Hershel’s breathing change and realized what position he was in, and that he now had a choice to make. Either let him go and set him down on the other side of the bed, greatly risking waking him up, or slowly lay back down and keep him in his arms, only having a slight chance of waking him up. He went with the second option, not wanting to most likely wake him up after all that, and he looked comfortable where he was.

He laid down as gently as he could, putting a hand on the back of Hershel’s head to not jostle it as he repositioned himself. Finally they were both in a comfortable position, and Phoenix only now got the time to take in what had just transpired. _Holy shit… Did I really just lull him to sleep? Am I seriously holding him right now?_ Phoenix thought, feeling his heart start to pound again. _Maya would be laughing and taking pictures right now if she_ _were here. Ugh, I’m exhausted. I should probably try and get some sleep too, gotta help figure out what’s exactly going on with the weather in the morning._

“Goodnight, Hershel,” He whispered, barely audible. And with that, Phoenix shut his eyes closed, and in a few minutes had fallen asleep as well.


	4. A Chilling Shock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two wake up after that emotional night and see that their fears have become reality, and much, much worse than they imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I live! Sorry this chapter is pretty short, I wanted to get something out after so long with posting nothing. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

A sharp wind cut through the house, sending a chill down the Professor’s spine. He cocked his head up, taking a glance out the window, and stopped. His eyes widened in shock, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The entirety of the outside was covered with a thick sheet of ice, like a clear frosting over a cake. He turned to Phoenix, who was still sound asleep beside him. Hershel gently shook him, and Phoenix slowly woke up with a grumble.

“What’s wrong, Hersh? It’s not even 6 yet…” Phoenix stopped mid-sentence when Hershel pointed to the window, and saw what had warranted the early waking.

“Holy shit…” Phoenix muttered, then remembered Maya was still at the apartment. He picked up his phone from the bedside table and dialed Maya’s number; he doubted that she’d be up at this time, but he had to make sure she was okay. Surprisingly, Maya picked up after the first two rings.

“Hey, I was just about to call you!” Maya said on the other side.

“So, you’ve seen what’s happened already?” Phoenix said.

“Yep, I was gonna call you to see if you guys were okay over there,” Maya said.

“Heh, looks like we had the same idea! So, I assume you’re okay then?” Phoenix asked, feeling a little better about the situation.

“Yeah, I’m okay. I’m glad I kept the windows closed. You guys good?” Maya asked, remembering how she almost opened up the kitchen window for the night to get some air flowing.

“We’re good, had one close call, but we’re okay. The only thing we need to figure out is if we’re gonna be able to get the front door open with all that ice covering it,” Phoenix said.

“Oh jeez, yeah, I didn’t think of that. I’m not sure if anyone’s gonna be able to get out of the apartment complex!” Maya said, wondering if there was enough food in the fridge to last for awhile in case she really was stuck.

“Alright, I should go, but I’ll call you soon. And call me if anything happens!” Phoenix said.

“I will, see ya Nick!” Maya said, then hung up.

Phoenix put down his phone and took another look outside, still not fully believing that this could happen. He looked over to Hershel, who had now fully sat up in bed, a slightly worried look on his face.

“So, what’s the next step, Prof?” Phoenix asked, sitting up beside him.

“Well, as you said, we should try and get the front door open first. Then, we need to start our investigation, beginning at the police office,” Hershel said, his worried expression being replaced by his signature thoughtful look.

“Sounds good to me. Let’s get going,” Phoenix said, sliding off the bed and headed for the door, Hershel following behind him.


	5. Investigations and Ice Skates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a surprise visit from Maya, the group finally starts to set off on the investigation! Though, not in the conventional way...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise surprise, I wait until November to update this. There was actually gonna be more in this chapter, but it was already pretty long and I didn't wanna make you guys wait longer, so I'm splitting it into two chapters! (And I know they don't actually do any investigating in this chapter, but they do offscreen and the next chapter will pick up at them finishing up the investigating)

Hershel and Phoenix headed towards the living room after getting dressed, and almost slipped on the thin layer of ice that had crept in from under the front door. Frost covered the door’s edges, and crystal ice had filled in the gap between the door and the doorframe. It looked like they were going to have to break the door down to get it open.

“Hm. Well, this is quite a predicament.”

“Welp, no point in wasting time!” Phoenix said, and before the Professor could stop him, he took a running start at the door, smashing into it with his shoulder. There was a  _ crack _ noise, and the ice stuck between the gap cracked. Phoenix steadied himself and took another leap at the door, making the ice crack again. One more leap, and the ice shattered. The door swung open and a cold wind rushed into the house, knocking Phoenix over onto his back.

“What’s all the noise for…?” A sleepy Luke said, still in pajamas and teddy bear in hand.

“It’s not much, Luke. We were just getting the door unstuck,” The Professor said, then turned his attention to Phoenix, who was fighting with the ice on the floor to get up.

“Are you alright? That must have done a number on your shoulder.”

“I’m fine, just a little sore,” Phoenix said, slipping once more on the ice. Hershel offered him a hand, and he took it and pulled himself up. Now finally to his feet and the wind calming down, he noticed a faint yelling coming from outside getting louder. He looked at the Professor, and he could tell that he heard it too. The two of them cautiously poked their heads out the doorway, and to their surprise, they saw Maya speeding down the sidewalk, shouting at them. Not only that, she was in ice skates.

“Hey guys! I see you got your door open!” Maya said once she finally reached them, slightly out of breath.

“Yeah, uh, we did. How did you get out of the apartment building?” Phoenix asked, “And why are you in ice skates?”

“They had been working on the door since around 5, so it just got done about a half hour ago. As for the skates, they’re a lot faster than trying to walk on the ice. Plus, it’s fun!”

“Oh, ok. Well that’s good, we can get back into the apartment now if we needed to.”

“Yeah, everyone’s been freaking out at what’s happened! No one’s sure if it was just a natural disaster or manmade, or something else entirely. It’s pandemonium!” Maya said, “What’s even worse is what happened to the people outside last night…” She trailed off, her smile fading.

“Oh… oh no… you don’t mean…?” Phoenix asked, hoping he was wrong.

“They’re all ice statues,” Maya said solemnly.

Phoenix and Hershel looked shocked, though they both had a similar hunch on what would happen if someone were to be hit by one of those icicles.

“Has anyone been trying to control the situation?” Hershel asked, stepping out fully onto the iced sidewalk.

“A couple police showed up at the apartment building, but they haven’t done much to help. People are so panicked out of their minds they’re either shutting themselves into their apartments or running to catch a train out of here, but no one even knows if the trains are running or frozen over as well.”

“Hm. I’d say it’s time to get this investigation on its way, what about you two?” Hershel said, glancing at Phoenix and Maya.

“I’m in! I haven’t been on an adventure like this in awhile!” Maya said, beaming.

“I’m coming too, let’s get this show on the road!” Phoenix said, giving the Professor a nod and a smile. Hershel smiled back, a small glow on his cheeks forming.

“Hey! Don’t forget your trusted apprentice!” Luke ran out onto the sidewalk now in his proper clothes, and slipped on the ice, the Professor catching him just in time and helped him back onto his feet.

“Of course we didn’t forget about you, Luke,” The Professor said. “Well, now that everyone’s here, shall we head off?”

“Wait! One thing!” Luke piped up, staring at Maya’s skates. “Do you think we could travel by ice skates as well?”

“Ice skating… while investigating?” Hershel said, puzzled. “Well, I wouldn’t be against it, though it has been a rather long time since I’ve ice skated…”

“Oh! That reminds me! Nick, I brought your old ice skates from last winter with me in case you wanted to try them out!” Maya said, flinging the backpack around to her chest, and unzipped it to reveal a pair of dusty ice skates.

“No way! I forgot I even  _ had _ those!” Phoenix said, a shocked smile on his face. “You brought them all the way over here, I guess I should use them, huh?” He took them out of the bag and carried them over to the doorway, sitting down to put them on.

“I’ll grab yours and mine Professor!” Luke shouted as he ran inside to grab their skates, and hopefully a proper coat as well.

“Ah, well, it seems this is going to be a rather interesting investigation…” Hershel said as he watched the boy run into the house, and tried to remember the last time he skated. It had to have been at least a decade, though he kept getting new skates whenever he grew out of the old ones, just in case he ever wanted to someday. Who knew that it would come in handy today, in a situation like this no less?

Luke returned with two pairs of ice skates and a jacket for himself, already on his body. Luke handed the Professor his ice skates, then promptly sat down to put on his own. Layton saw that there was no getting out of this, so he waited until there was a spot in the doorway where he could sit, and once Phoenix was done and trying to get his footing, Layton sat down and started putting on his own, barely remembering how to properly lace them up. Once he had jogged his memory and gotten them on, he shakily stood up, holding on tightly to the door frame for support. He finally got the courage to look away from his feet, and saw that Phoenix had his arm outstretched to him.

“You need some help there, Hersh?” He asked, and Hershel greatly accepted, pulling his hands away from the door frame slowly to hold onto Phoenix’s hand. He stumbled a bit, and instinctively reached out for something with his free hand. Phoenix caught his hand and helped Hershel get his footing, and once the Professor didn’t look like he was going to fall and break his back, it was finally time to set off.


End file.
